*Updated at 21:00 (CET)
Turkey has targeted 25 critical infrastructure sites in North and East Syria, leaving a trail of destruction and an alarming death toll. The affected regions, including Qamishli (Qamişlo), Amuda (Amûde), Kobani (Kobanê) and the Sherewa (Şerewa) district of Afrin (Efrîn), are grappling with the aftermath of relentless Turkish air strikes that show no signs of abating.
The death toll has risen to eight, and it is feared that it will rise further as the attacks continue. A hospital has been among the latest targets of Turkish drone strikes.
Meanwhile, the attacks have sparked widespread public outrage, with thousands taking to the streets in Qamishli to protest.
The onslaught, which began on Saturday night, has devastated vital infrastructure in the region. According to a report by the local North Press news agency, Turkish airstrikes have knocked out electricity to 2,600 villages in North and East Syria, adding to the challenges faced by the local population.
In Qamishli, a former railway station, now inoperative, was targeted twice by Turkish drones in the early hours of Monday morning. A drone strike also hit the Cizîre Agricultural Centre in the same town, causing a fire that engulfed the facility used to store wheat and seeds. A printing press in western Qamishli and a gas station in the eastern part of the city were also hit.
The bombardment also extended to Kobani, where a car workshop in the town centre was bombed, injuring two workers and causing extensive material damage. In the afternoon, Turkish airstrikes hit a Kurdish Red Crescent hospital, Heyva Sor a Kurd, in Kobani.
The latest wave of Turkish attacks came in retaliation for military losses suffered by Turkish forces during operations against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had previously threatened retaliation for the killing of 12 Turkish soldiers in cross-border military operations, vowing to target both northern Syria and Iraq in response.
